Donald Trump fire protester dies hours after setting himself alight outside Manhattan trial

Max Azzarello, the conspiracy theorist who lit himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump is undergoing his hush money trial, has died.

The troubled protester passed away on Friday night just hours after the shocking incident unfolded across the street from the courthouse, police sources confirmed. He died of the severe burns he sustained from the self-immolation.

The horrifying incident took place as jury selection in the hush money trial was underway. Trump is accused of paying porn star Stormy Daniels over £100k to keep silent after she came forward in 2016 with claims that she had an affair with Trump in 2006 in Nevada.

The belief was that her claims would harm his presidential campaign, which ended up being successful when he defeated Democrat and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Emergency crews were seen rushing Azzarello, 37, away after the incident as fire crews desperately attempted to extinguish the flames. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition "but alive," the New York Fire Department revealed, as did the police. He has now died from his injuries, the New York Post reported.

Azzarello, from St. Augustine, Florida, had run-ins with the police before, officials from the Sunshine State revealed, and he had a history of posting mad conspiracy theories in his rambling online blog, which he posted to just before the incident.

He also posted a manifesto before lighting himself on fire on Friday, which was simply titled: "I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial." A link to the letter, which was posted on his Substack, appeared on the sign he held as he committed the disturbing act.

The words in the manifesto were chilling. "My name is Max Azzarello, and I am an investigative researcher who has set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan," he wrote.

Azzarello added, "This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup." The message concluded, "To my friends and family, witnesses and first responders, I deeply apologize for inflicting this pain upon you."

The conspiracy theorist previously posted messages related to cryptocurrencies, and the rest of his manifesto discussed world corruption, his thoughts on Ponzi schemes and even mentioned The Simpsons. He reportedly travelled all the way to New York City over the past several days to commit his extreme act of protest.

His final Instagram story showed the chilling words, "I love you I love you I love you I love you," all repeated over four lines against a light blue backdrop. The last image he shared was of a pamphlet, some of which he was seen tossing into the air as he burned, that was titled, "The True History of the World, Haunted Carnival Addition."

The act came right after the final jurors in the hush money trial were selected, and it led to delays in the trial as the authorities scrambled to get the situation under control. Initial reports indicated that shots were fired, but reporters already at the scene quickly realised what was actually occurring.

As Azzarello was led away on a stretcher after cops finally extinguished the flames, the department bluntly said that his condition was "not good." Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey described the ordeal, stating that Azzarello walked into the park, located on Centre Street, before he pulled out a stack of colourful pamphlets and then a fire accelerant.

He knelt, lit himself ablaze and dispersed the pamphlets, which reportedly made claims about New York's higher education institutions and their alleged involvement with the mob. It took a few minutes to extinguish the flames and get the situation under control.

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